03/02/2023 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

        HB 17-CONTRACEPTIVES COVERAGE:INSURE;MED ASSIST                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:58:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  announced that the  final order of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 17,  "An Act relating  to insurance  coverage for                                                               
contraceptives   and  related   services;  relating   to  medical                                                               
assistance coverage for contraceptives  and related services; and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:59:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ASHLEY  CARRICK,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime sponsor, offered  a brief recap on HB 17.   She stated that                                                               
the proposed legislation would mandate  insurance coverage for up                                                               
to  12   months  for  a   one-time  dispensing   of  prescription                                                               
contraceptives.   She stated  that the  providers would  have the                                                               
prerogative,  as they  already can  dispense up  to a  12 months'                                                               
supply  of   contraceptives.    She  stated   that  the  proposed                                                               
legislation  would not  change the  number of  times a  doctor is                                                               
seen, rather  it would change  the number of times  an individual                                                               
would go to the pharmacist.   She stated that the response to the                                                               
questions  from  the  hearing  [on  2/07/23]  were  sent  to  the                                                               
committee  members   on  2/14/23.    She   welcomed  any  further                                                               
questions that members may have.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
5:01:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX opened public testimony on HB 17.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:02:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BARBARA  TYNDALL,  representing  self,  stated  that  she  is  in                                                               
opposition  to HB  17,  unless there  is  an amendment  excluding                                                               
emergency contraceptives.   She related  that an article  she had                                                               
read  described the  difference  between emergency  contraception                                                               
and the  abortion pill.  The  article explained that in  1959 the                                                               
American  College of  Obstetrics  and  Gynecologists changed  the                                                               
definition  of pregnancy  to the  moment  of implantation  rather                                                               
than the moment of fertilization.   She expressed the belief that                                                               
life begins at conception and  a pill which prevents implantation                                                               
is  abortion.   She  pointed  out the  article  had related  that                                                               
emergency   contraception's  primary   function  is   to  prevent                                                               
ovulation.   She  said, "However,  the manufacturer's  insert for                                                               
Plan B  admits that the  product may prevent the  implantation of                                                               
an  already fertilized  human embryo."   She  asserted that  this                                                               
possibility  is  "not  acceptable  and no  insurance  policy  ...                                                               
should be  forced to pay for  it."  She requested  that, before a                                                               
vote  is  taken,  the  bill   be  amended  to  exclude  emergency                                                               
contraception.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:04:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAMELA  SAMASH,  President,  Right  to Life  -  Interior  Alaska,                                                               
provided testimony in opposition to  HB 17.  Addressing the first                                                               
reason for  her opposition,  she expressed  the opinion  that the                                                               
government's  role  should  be to  protect  rights,  not  control                                                               
private  enterprises.   She  continued  that insurance  companies                                                               
should be able  to decide what to offer, while  the public should                                                               
be  able to  decide what  to accept,  as this  is how  capitalism                                                               
works.   Addressing the second  reason for her opposition  to the                                                               
proposed legislation, she expressed  the opinion that the morning                                                               
after  pill is  "killing  a  child, and  that's  murder, and  the                                                               
government is  supposed to protect  lives, and not  kill people."                                                               
She continued that the third reason  for opposing the bill is the                                                               
workforce  shortage.   The food  stamp program  in the  state has                                                               
been affected  by this  shortage and  elderly people  are hungry.                                                               
She  said, "If  we keep  killing our  future generations,  who is                                                               
going  to take  care  of us?"   She  expressed  the opinion  that                                                               
anything  to do  with  death or  taking  away private  enterprise                                                               
rights  needs to  be  "out  of this  bill."    She described  the                                                               
workforce shortage  as extreme.  She  said, "We are in  a crisis,                                                               
and this  is why,  because we  won't let  people live  beyond the                                                               
womb."  She requested the proposed legislation be stopped.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:07:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. SAMASH,  in response to  Representative Saddler,  stated that                                                               
she is  testifying on behalf of  herself and the Right  to Life -                                                               
Interior Alaska.   She stated that she is also  a commissioner on                                                               
the Alaska Commission  on Aging; however, she is  not speaking on                                                               
behalf  of  the   commission.    She  stated   that  the  elderly                                                               
population is exploding, and there are not enough care givers.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:09:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATHERINE CHRISTENSON,  representing self, provided  testimony in                                                               
opposition to  HB 17.   She expressed the concern  that mandating                                                               
insurance companies would put people  at risk for not getting the                                                               
medical care  they need.   She shared  that she knew  some people                                                               
who  would  not  buy  insurance   from  a  company  which  covers                                                               
contraception.  She  argued that choices should  be available for                                                               
individuals and making requirements  on insurance companies would                                                               
limit this choice.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:11:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. CHRISTENSON, in response  to Representative Ruffridge, stated                                                               
her reference was  an example of a friend who  dropped her health                                                               
insurance company because it had chosen to cover contraception.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:12:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MORGAN LIM, representing  self, expressed support for HB  17.  He                                                               
stated  that  the  proposed   legislation  would  require  health                                                               
insurance  companies to  cover a  12-month  disbursement of  oral                                                               
contraceptives  from one  medical  appointment.   He stated  that                                                               
this coverage  is extremely important  for those who are  off the                                                               
road system or  have limited access to pharmacies.   He expressed                                                               
hope  that the  committee would  investigate some  of the  claims                                                               
made by individuals and move the bill forward.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:14:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX, after  ascertaining there was no one  else who wished                                                               
to testify, closed public testimony on HB 17.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:14:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE  moved to  adopt Amendment  1 to  HB 17,                                                               
labeled 33-LS0222\A.1, Marx, 2/21/23, which read:                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 10, following "contraceptives;":                                                                              
          Insert "and"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 11 - 14:                                                                                                     
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Reletter the following subparagraph accordingly.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 7, line 2, following "dispensing;":                                                                                   
          Insert "and"                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 7, lines 3 - 6:                                                                                                       
          Delete all material.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Renumber the following paragraph accordingly.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:15:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA objected.   Speaking  to her  objection, she                                                               
said that  many insurance companies  in Alaska cover Plan  B, and                                                               
Medicaid covers Plan  B.  She stated that  extensive studies have                                                               
shown the  main course  of action  for the drug  is to  delay the                                                               
release of an egg, and implantation  is not impacted; thus, if an                                                               
individual  believes  that  implantation is  conception,  Plan  B                                                               
would not impact this.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:16:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE stated  that  Amendment  1 would  allow                                                               
insurance to cover  contraception, which is a  valid component of                                                               
medical  care  in  the state;  however,  emergency  contraception                                                               
continues to be a controversial  issue.  He stated that emergency                                                               
contraception would  be available  over the  counter.   He stated                                                               
that the  mandate of coverage  would create an opportunity  for a                                                               
moral objection  to the proposed  legislation.  He  expressed the                                                               
opinion that having  emergency contraception as a  portion of the                                                               
bill would be ill advised, and the amendment would remove this.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:17:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK voiced opposition to Amendment 1.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA removed her objection.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:17:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was  taken.  Representatives Ruffridge, Saddler,                                                               
Sumner, and  Prax voted in  favor of  adopting Amendment 1  to HB
.  Representative Mina voted  against it.  Therefore, Amendment                                                               
1 was adopted by a vote of 4-1.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:18:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE moved  to report HB 17,  as amended, out                                                               
of  committee with  individual recommendations.    [There was  no                                                               
mention of fiscal notes in the motion.]                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
[There was  discussion as to  whether the original  bill version,                                                               
as   amended,  should   be  considered   "33-LS0222\A"  or   "33-                                                               
LS0222\A.1,"  and  another  motion  was  made  by  Representative                                                               
Ruffridge to include "A.1."]                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:19:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  called a  point of  order to  specify the                                                               
correct identifier  to use to  report HB  17, as amended,  out of                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
5:19:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 5:19 p.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
5:19:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX  clarified that the  intent of the committee  had been                                                               
to report HB 17, as amended, out of committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
5:20:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE surmised  that one  of his  motions had                                                               
been correct.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
5:20:48 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PRAX announced that there  being no objection, CSHB 17(HHS)                                                               
was  reported  out  of  the  House  Health  and  Social  Services                                                               
Standing  Committee.   [The committee  addressed HB  17 again  on                                                               
3/7/23 in order to move a fiscal note with the bill.]